Processing of liquid samples to isolate desired components from other components that may be present in the liquid samples is ubiquitous in a variety of fields. For example, DNA sequencing can involve first lysing cells containing the target DNA to form a lysate, a complex mixture of the desired nucleic acids and other components such as cellular debris and lysing reagents. Before the desired nucleic acids can be amplified, detected and quantified, they must be isolated from these other components.